There are many dangers prevalent in the online world, and this is something we teach children from a young age these days. But it’s not just young people who need to be wary, it’s remarkably easy for any of us to be taken in by a fraudulent app or website and end up having our data taken for underhanded uses.
Be Careful of Your Personal Information
There are certain pieces of information that can be useful to criminals, and not all of them are as obvious as others. Things like postal address, date of birth, or banking details are apparent to all of us and we would know to be reticent to provide them online. But other little bits and pieces of info can seem innocent but can be made to work against you. If quizzes are asking questions like the name of first pet, or the street you grew up on, then these are common memorable data to access bank accounts, etc.
Only Use the Official Store
Your phone, tablet or computer all come with an official app store pre-installed these days. You should be wary of downloading any apps that are not listed on these stores, unless you are one hundred percent sure the provider is trustworthy. Even if you use the official app store, they can’t verify every app as it first appears, and fakes may exist for a brief time before they are reported. These apps can be similar at first glance, and if you have any concerns, delete it, and report the app to be safe.
Don’t Enter Credit Card Details
Never enter credit card details on an unfamiliar app or website. If in doubt use more secure methods of payment; and this can be especially useful for users in developing nations anyway who may not have a credit card, you can buy bitcoin in Ghana and spend it in an app without risking your whole bank balance. If you do enter your card details and then feel you shouldn’t have it’s essential to immediately call your bank or card provider and report it, stop the card and prevent any possible fraud.
Look at the Publisher
One critical method of spotting a fake is to look at the listed publisher of the app. Often a fake will be listed under a publisher with a significantly similar name to the legitimate developer of the software. If you had a game that was produced by a company called Gamer Inc. and the listing was under Gamer Industries, then it’s possible that this is a fake clone of the companies account. If you have any concerns of this nature, then don’t download anything and report your concerns to the app store and the genuine publisher.
Read Reviews
There are plenty of reviews of new apps from trusted sites. These combined with user reviews can let you know if apps are generally likely to be genuine. If they were not it would quickly be noticeable as bad news travels swiftly online.
